James and the Link Between Worlds
by Brendin Quaye
Summary: James is a boy minding his own business when a fairy transports him to the land of Hyrule to recover the Chalice of Orin and revive Princess Zelda from a magical curse.
1. Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

I – The Adventure Begins

The first time James saw a fairy he was walking out of Frankie's Fun Park.

It was a Thursday afternoon, the time spent in homeschool co-op miles away, and James was spending some saved up Christmas money on the joys of video games, laser tag, and accumulating tickets from Skeeball machines. He had now saved up about 1,000 tickets and he was looking forward to trading them in for something nice in the near future. He could get really serious items like a Playstation or iPod Touch for tens of thousands of tickets, or his could spend fewer tickets on remote controlled cars and huge stuffed animals. Of course, the option to spend ten or twenty on candy and plastic trinkets always existed. But James didn't want to throw them away on things that wouldn't really be interesting in a day or two. He was up for saving them.

Of course, he found it difficult to get, much less save for, them when he only got to come to Frankie's once or twice a year. It was a travesty of human existence that this haven of fun and oasis of joy was only permitted on special occasions or when great feats of intellectual skill had been demonstrated. Alas, no such feat of intellect had been demonstrated today, rather it was his birthday – or would be in two days – but this was the best opportunity for him to cash in on his desire to play video games and win copious tickets. He'd played several games that he enjoyed, including the Let's Make a Deal game where he won over 150 tickets in one game.

He had also played a game that was very similar to his favorite game on earth, namely The Legend of Zelda. As he'd walked by it, he had been attracted to it immediately. It was called Legendary Heroes and seemed to be set in a world very similar to Hyrule of the Zelda games. Small villages dotted the landscape as well as roaming creatures that looked like the two-legged, spear-toting bulldog creatures that were so annoying. On the side of the game console, where the artwork was drawn – intended to suck you in – he saw a green tunic wearing, sword carrying, elf-like hero that could have been Link if they'd tried just a little harder. James stopped instantly and studied the machine.

"No way," he said to no one in particular. "This is too cool."

It was strange to see a game like Zelda in an arcade, as they tended to take more time to complete. This one was different though, it was set up more like scenes from a Zelda game than an actual adventure. He instantly swiped his token card on the machine to see how it worked. A brief tutorial informed him that he would be playing the character Talon, a resident of the land of Pygar and a father to a daughter named Malon. Malon has been taken captive and Talon was trying to rescue her. There were several challenges that prevent this, which the player had to assist Talon in overcoming. There were sword challenges, archery challenges, sling shot targeting, puzzle solving among other things. While there was no direct story-line other than the tutorial, James found he enjoyed the random challenges as much as playing Zelda at home.

Like most video games, there was a ranking system where you could enter your initials or some other moniker at the end of your turn. James's first try was pretty much a disaster, but the game intrigued him so he swiped his card again. After a few tries, he began to get the hang of the controls and began doing very well. By the time his alarm went off saying it was time to go, he had the highest scores and had perfected all but one of the trials. The only one he couldn't pass was one in which he had to pole vault over a canyon to reach the other side. It was ridiculously realistic in the way the game required precision of timing for the pole to bend correctly and send you flying over the canyon.

As he walked out of Frankie's he was hoping he could read up on this game some more when he got home and see if there was a version of it for Wii or something.

But then the fairy appeared.

It seemed to appear out of nowhere, floating right in front of his face and glowing with an ethereal golden aura. James stopped short and almost fell backward in shock.

_What am I seeing_, he thought?

The fairy was about six inches tall, with two translucent wings which fluttered around it, seemingly hinged on her back. Her long hair and clothing made him fairly confident of the gender, but at this point, he'd be surprised at pretty much anything.

"You must come with me," the fairy said. "You are the link."

"What?" James responded.

"The realm is in jeopardy and you are the only one to pass enough of the trials to help."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," James insisted.

"I am sorry, we have no time for this. I will explain once we are in Hyrule," the fairy said.

Before James could protest, he felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips and toes. The sensation moved through his whole body and the world around he began to shimmer. He could see his van across the parking lot with his Mom inside waiting for him to come. He was afraid he'd be late, at the very least. He watched as it all disappeared and then he lost consciousness.

When he came to he was in a small clearing, mostly surrounded by rock but with some small shrubs and grass around. He sat up and looked around, but recognized nothing. _I must be dreaming, _he thought. A fallen log lay to his right and on a jutting piece of broken limb sat the fairy.  
"My name is Nairoo," the fairy said. "I'm sorry I had to bring you so suddenly, but we have very little time."

"What are you talking about? What are you? Where am I?" James blubbered at a fast pace.

"Like I said, my name is Nairoo. I'm a fairy and this is Hyrule," the sprite said with very little concern for James's state of mind. "You, of course, are Link. I have summoned you to deal with a new threat to Hyrule. The Chalice of Orin must be found quickly. Only it can revive the princess."

As she said this, Nairoo fluttered her wings and began to float in the sky. James now saw that the golden aura that seemed to emanate from the fairy was made by the dazzling display of her wings moving so fast. Golden flecks seemed to burst from the wings and sparkle around her body, giving her a glow that was fascinating to behold. James tried to keep his wits about him. He was obviously dreaming.

"I literally have no idea what you are talking about," he said.

"You passed the tests in the arcade and have knowledge of the realm from your studies at home," Nairoo said. "You must be Link, the hero from another world who always comes to save ours."

"Link is a fictional character in a video game," James said. "I'm a boy. If I'm not dreaming this, you have about five seconds to return me to where I was. My Mom is going to be mad."

Nairoo's wings stopped fluttering so quickly and she lighted on the broken branch she had been on earlier. She looked genuinely puzzled.

"I know this is a lot to take in," she began. "Please bear with me. Some have needed a lot of explanation, others have not. It would be better if we talked on the way. The danger is quite real."

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers," James said.

"Ok, I'll try to be brief. Can I at least assume you are aware of the land of Hyrule?" she asked.

"Yes, from the games," James said. "But it's not real."

"Hyrule is very real and exists in another plane of existence from your own. We are, in fact, underneath your own plane, but share the same space. It's complicated…" she said as she saw James's reaction…"suffice it to say that you have not really left your home. It is around you, but you cannot see it right now. Hyrule has become the more real place for you now. And it is in danger.

"For some time we have been drawing heroes from your plane of existence to assist us in the dangers we have faced. We fairies have power to draw a human child from your place across the veil and into ours. We have done this for centuries. Those with extraordinary powers, either of intellect or skill, have always shared an unconscious link with Hyrule, making them easy to find and draw. Others would resist the power and not remain.

"At some point in your 20th century, some of those who had come here met each other on the other side and began to discuss Hyrule and their adventures here. We became aware that they had shared their stories and adventures through a series of interactive realities – what you call games. Ever since then, we have been monitoring these to help us locate candidates to be Link as needed.

"Now is such a time. The wizard Agrim has placed a spell on the princess and only water from the Chalice of Orin can revive her. It is rumored to be in a temple far away. You must retrieve it and bring it to the castle."

"Wait, are you talking about Zelda?" James asked.

"Of course," Nairoo answered, sensing that James was beginning to believe her.

"So, let me get this straight," James began. "'Link' is a name for anyone from my world who comes to your world to save Zelda, fight Ganon, or whatever you need him to do?"

"Yes," Nairoo answered. "In fact, there have been many hundreds of 'Link's' over the centuries and not all of them have even been boys."

James stood up, wanting desperately to believe he wasn't having an elaborate dream. Could it be possible that Hyrule really existed? Could it really be true that he was Link for this day – this mission?

"Let's say I believe you," James said. "Where would I go first?"

Nairoo smiled. "You know the answer to that question, Link."

James looked around again and saw a small cave entrance to his right. He walked in that direction and stood at the opening. It was dark inside, but he thought he could make out some flickering light from deeper in and around a corner. _It can't be_, he thought. James stepped into the cave and turned left at the corner. He entered a small chamber. There were two torches lighting the room, which was empty except for a small stone table with a sword on it. As he approached the table, he could see that there was writing carved into the stone. Even before he reached it, he knew what it was going to say.

It's dangerous to go alone. Take this.

The sword that lay on the table had a decorative blue hilt and handle, studded with various gems. The hilt blended gracefully with a blue and gold encrusted scabbard that stretched at least two feet. James reached for it and was surprised that it felt as light as it did. He held the sword in his hands and pulled the blade free from the scabbard, hoping he would see the familiar Triforce emblem etched into the steel. As it came into view, his breath caught in his throat. He was holding the Master Sword. He nearly dropped it, his excitement was so high. _I can't believe this is actually happening,_ he thought.

When he came back out of the cave, with the Master Sword in his hands, he found Nairoo sitting on the log.

"Now do you believe me?" the fairy asked.

"How come I didn't have to go through a variety of trials to get the Master Sword?" James asked. It was the only question that was bugging him.

"Everyone's task here is different. For some the Master Sword had to be found as part of their task. For others, they began their task with it. There is deeper magic than I know at work in the land of Hyrule and the sword chooses its own heroes. We fairies just do the dirty work of brining you here and helping you along the way. You needed to find it in the cave. Be glad, you remember the poor boy that had to go through three dungeons and then navigate the forest to find the sword, right?"

James did, indeed, remember the tales of how Link had won, or found, the Master Sword in various versions of the game. The fairy's story actually made sense, the more James thought about it. In the first game, the original sword Link had was a wooden sword. This sword was upgraded two times in the game, by having a certain number of heart containers, to the Magic Sword. Though nothing said so for sure, some have argued that this was the Master Sword. In other games, Link had to obtain the Master Sword, but always through different trials.

James examined the sword and its scabbard in the light. He noted that the scabbard had a strap with which he could sling it over his back for ease of transport. He did this so that the blade fell across his back, with the handle accessible from his right hand.

"Okay, where next?" James said.

Nairoo smiled. "First we must go to the Rauru Village, where you will obtain the help of an old warrior to give you a shield. There is a boomerang in the village as well, but you will need rupees to purchase it. I trust you know how to gain rupees?"

"I think I can figure that one out," James said with a smile. "Lead the way, Nairoo."


	2. Chapter 2: Rauru Village

II: Rauru Village

Shortly after leaving the clearing with Nairoo, James got his first opportunity to gather some rupees. No sooner had they traveled a few hundred yards when James saw a red octorok snuffling around near a shrub. Its tentacles slithered this way and that as it moved around, raising dust as it did. James figured this was a good opportunity to see how he faired against a creature and drew the sword.

He approached the octorok carefully, not wanting to give away his position or intention too soon. However, a step on a stray twig made a sharp "crack" and the dry land octopus took notice. James could see the tentacles stir for a moment as it readied itself to charge the interloper. James took a stance and waited for the beast to move in closer, knowing the best way to deal with this from experience in the games.

When the octorok charged, it built a huge plume of dust around it. This obscured its body for a bit, which made it harder for James to see the creature as it approached. _This doesn't happen in the game,_ he thought. Nevertheless, James made a solid swing at the beast as it approached. The sword glanced off the beast and James was thrown to the ground, out of the path. A tentacle swept across his leg and scratched it with the sharp spikes that made the mollusk able to move in a dry environment. James let out a shout and rolled to safety. Nairoo flew close to James.

"It's not all like in the games," she said. "You need to strike at his tentacles or hit it in the eye. The mantle is too hard to cut through."

James quickly looked at his leg. Though it burned, it appeared to be more scratched than cut. He stood up and repositioned himself for another charge. The beast obliged quickly enough. James watched it coming and decided the tentacles made better targets than the eye. As it approached, he hacked down with a hard swing and cleaved at least two of them off with one blow. The octorok cried out in pain and literally evaporated in front of his eyes. Lying on the ground where the creature had been were two blue gemstones and a small Deku nut. James picked them up and slid them into the pocket of his jeans. He made a mental note to try to get a side satchel while in the village to make collecting and transporting items a little easier.

He also looked more closely at his leg. The scratches had a red tinge to them, not caused by blood.

"What is this, Nairoo?" he asked.

"The underside of the tentacle has many sharp talons for gripping the ground. These are also slightly poisonous to ensure easy pretty for the octorok. It is not deadly, but it will get infected if not treated. We can get it looked at in Rauru Village."

"I have a feeling I'm going to need more rupees," James muttered.

"Do not forget," Nairoo began, "that rupees lay in _interesting_ places in this world."

James immediately remembered that in the games, you could get some rupees for cutting grass and breaking pots you found around the world. He stood up - wincing from the leg wound - and walked over to a large clump of grass. He swung the sword at the grass, cutting most of the clump away. There, lying on the ground were two green rupees. He picked them up and looked back at Nairoo.

"Why are these lying around anyway?" he asked.

"Sometimes creatures like the octorok have stolen them, but lose them. Other times, villagers have lost them."

After a few more encounters with octoroks and one with a moblin, James had about 50 rupees. He found another 25 or so in bushes along the way. He hoped he had enough to purchase the items he'd need and get some medicine for his leg. He had no idea how to tell time in Hyrule, but he imagined he'd been walking with Nairoo for a few hours by the time Rauru Village came into view. They had been walking along something like a path and James was surprised by how many monsters frequented the area. He'd mentioned it to Nairoo and she said that monsters were a constant source of frustration for Hyrulians, but that they had were always worse when someone was threatening the serenity of the realm. They seemed to have a sixth sense that some wizard or dark force was gaining power or acting out.

"They really come out of the woodwork then," she said.

There was a small wall surrounding the village and a guardhouse. As James and Nairoo approached the gate, a guard stood up. He was a squat fellow with a sour, bored expression on his face.

"Who goes there?" he asked.

Before James could answer, Nairoo flew close to him and whispered in his ear.

"This will go more smoothly if you say your name is Link. No one knows who James is here."

James though this sounded reasonable and agreed.

"My name is Link. My fairy and I are here for supplies and medicine," he said.

At the name of Link, the guardsman's expression turned around and he seemed to light up some.

"Link?" he nearly shouted. "Well you are certainly welcome here."

"Yes sir," James replied. "I have need of some medicine for my leg and some supplies for my quest."

"Oh, I'm sure the merchants will be glad to see you come around," the guard said. "Not much business around these parts with Agrim running amok."

"I did notice more monsters than normal," James said.

"That's for sure. They keep most travelers off the roads running from village to village."

"No doubt about that," the guardsman said. "But there's no sense in you standing out here all day. Come inside."

The guard opened the gate fully and stood aside as James walked through into the town. Nairoo glided gently through the opening as well. James gazed at the simplicity of the town. Small huts were scattered around the space inside the walls. They had wooden frames and grass roofs, with little windows and doors opening to the world. He could immediately recognize a tavern and inn at the center of the town from the sign that hung from the door frame. It had a stein of ale stenciled on. It was also the only building in the village that stood two stories high.

Nearby, though, James saw a blacksmith hammering on some metal under a thatched roof. A cauldron of fiery coals stood nearby and the man twisted and turned the metal in his hands and struck it with a hammer. Every so often, he would dip the red hot steel into a bucket of water near his feet. The hissing sound created by the hot metal being dipped into the water was spectacular.

Just past the blacksmith sat a small building that had an open book stenciled onto the sign hanging from its roof. James guessed this to be a book dealer, a library, or a magic shop. He made a mental note to visit here before leaving the town. Across the path from this there was fountain, which sat just in front of the tavern he'd seen first. Some children were playing around the fountain, chasing chickens who were there picking at the soil for grubs or other bugs for food.

"Where should I go?" James asked Nairoo.

"You'll want to see to your leg first and get the shield," the fairy said. "I'd think a trip to the healer would be in order."

"Right," James said. "Uh, which one is the healer?"

"Well, it's the building on the other side of the inn, of course," Nairoo said as though James should know this town like the back of his hand.

"This isn't exactly Karkariko or someplace well-known, you know," James retorted.

Nairoo looked to be in thought for a moment and then replied, "Point taken."

James walked across the center of the town and past the fountain. He didn't speak to any of the children and they didn't speak to him either, but they did look at him quizzically as he walked by. After a moment it occurred to James that these children weren't wearing jeans and a T-shirt like he was, they were dressed in short tunics with pants and a rope belt tied at the waist. They were probably pretty curious about his clothing.

"Do I need to change clothes?" he asked Nairoo.

"It will not be necessary. Your mission will not require trips to other towns or villages," she replied.

"OK"

The duo approached the small shop on the other side of the inn and James saw a bottle of liquid adorning the hanging sign near the door. There was no door, so James walked in and Nairoo fluttered alongside him. Inside was much darker than the sunny world outside. A small counter separated the building into two areas. On his side there was a small stool, but nothing else. On the other side there were a few shelves with glass bottles filled with a variety of colored liquids. A few chests lay scattered on the floor and a few clay pots sat in the forgotten spaces between. From another room, a small woman entered. She ambled up to the counter.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"I need some medicine for my leg," James said.

"I have blue, red, and green potions," she said, gesturing to some bottles on a shelf behind her.

"How much for one of each?"

"It would cost you 25 rupees each."

"Seventy-five for one of each, huh?"

James remembered that he had to buy a sling shot, boomerang, or some other ranged weapon as well as a side satchel. He had only managed to get seventy-five in total from his rummaging in the bushes and slaying of monsters on the way.

"I'd better just take a red potion for now," he said, thinking if he had enough later, he'd come back for a green potion in case he needed it on the road.

The old lady handed him a red potion and he counted out twenty-five rupees on the counter. She smiled as she took the gems from him and he held the bottle.

"For small injuries, you can consume a portion of the bottle, but it will lessen the impact of later drinks," she offered. "You can also use the bottle for other things later."

"Thank you," James responded as he turned to leave.

Outside the shop, he asked Nairoo where they should go next, feeling a little like Harry Potter on his first trip to Diagon Alley. The fairy told him the next spot would be a general shop, where he could look at a variety of things, including a sling shot, bow, or boomerang. James followed Nairoo's lead and entered the next shop they came to. It was laid out pretty much like the healer shop, except the inventory was very different. A variety of items littered the shelves and hung from the walls. James saw bows and arrows, sling shots with bags of Deku nuts, a couple of boomerangs or various colors, and on a small shelf at the back of the store, round blue objects James could only assume were bombs.

A tall man with medium build approached the counter. He had a full, bushy mustache that obscured his upper lip, making his mouth seem small. He wore an apron that was covered with black smudges, but had a hint of blue underneath all the mess.

"What can I do for you, young master?" the man asked.

"How much would a boomerang cost and do you have either a backpack or side satchel?"

"Packs I've got plenty of," the man said. "They are two rupees each. I've got blue boomerangs that can be thrown about ten feet, or I've got red one's that can travel up to 30 feet. The blue one's are fifteen rupees and the red one's are thirty rupees."

James pondered his choices. He also asked about the sling shot with a bag of Deku nuts. The man told him the sling shot and nuts would run him 20 rupees together. He decided, as much as he wanted the boomerang – it being his favorite range weapon in the game – he felt he would be more accurate and able with the sing shot. He purchased the sling shot and a bag of Deku nuts as well as a small side satchel for the items he was collecting.

James did a quick calculation in his head, thankful that his Mom had required him to study Math – if only for a moment – and figured that with the twenty-five rupees for the potion, twenty rupees for the slingshot and nuts, and two rupees for the satchel, he still had twenty-eight rupees. That was enough to return to the potion shop for a green potion, but now that he knew he had multiple uses out of the red potion, he felt he should hold on to his remaining rupees. They might come in handy later.

After leaving the shop he went into the inn, near the fountain and purchased some dried meat and a water skin for drinking water. Then he returned to the fountain in the center of the village and sat on the side of it and looked at his leg again. It had stopped hurting as bad now and he though a small sip of the red potion would probably be sufficient for his situation. He wrapped the side satchel strap over his shoulder and let it hang to his right side. He then lifted the flap and inserted his newly purchased items. He held onto the red potion bottle and pulled the small stopper out. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a small sip of the red liquid.

"Man, that tastes just like fruit punch," James said as he put the stopper back in the bottle.

"Others have said the same," Nairoo said.

"How many others have you assisted, Nairoo?"

"You are the first Link I have brought through from your side," she replied.

"Wow! I would have thought you'd done this more than that," James said.

"Thank you, young Link."

"So, where do we go now?" James asked.

"Now, young Link, we must visit Barin, the forger. He will give you a shield. Then we go to the Kokiri forest where the Forest Temple is found. There you will seek the Chalice of Orin. You must hurry, we have spent too much time here."

James and Nairoo headed back to the blacksmith's shop he had noticed upon entering the village. The man working the forge was still there, hammering on some chunk of metal and dipping it in the water bucket. James was unsure of what he was supposed to do. He knew the man was supposed to give him a shield, but he didn't know if the man was already aware of that or if James was supposed to ask him for it.

The man stopped hammering and looked up at the boy and the fairy floating near his shoulder. He said nothing. An uncomfortable silence followed for about a minute before Nairoo spoke up.

"Barin, warrior of Hyrule, I present to you Link, hero of Hyrule."

The man, Barin, said nothing.

"The hero of Hyrule has been summoned by the Master Sword to retrieve the Chalice of Orin," Nairoo continued. "He is in need of your skills. He needs a shield worthy of the hero of Hyrule."

"Let him present the sword," Barin finally said in a deep voice.

Nairoo floated aside and James stepped closer. He drew the sword from the scabbard and held it in both hands for Barin to see. The blacksmith looked at the sword and examined the etched Triforce emblem on the blade.

"So … this is the hero of Hyrule?" Barin said questioningly.

James was unsure whether the man believed he was the hero or not. Heck, he wasn't sure whether _he_ believed it or not. James was beginning to think that Barin might not give him a shield.

"Then he will need the best shield I have made," the blacksmith stated.

James was relieved. He looked at Nairoo, who honestly looked a little relieved herself. Barin turned and retreated into his hut and was gone for a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying a large hunk of metal.

"Here, this is for you, hero of Hyrule," Barin said.

James still wasn't sure if there was sarcasm in Barin's voice, but decided to thing the best of the blacksmith and accept his gift. He took it in his hand with a "thank you, sir" and studied it carefully. It was wide across the top but tapered to a point at the bottom. It was large enough to cover a man from waist to shoulder, but was made of the lightest metal he'd ever felt. To look at it you would have sworn it was twenty pounds or more, but to hold it, it felt more like five pounds. It was a burnished silver on the inside, with a thick leather strap attached where one would grip the shield. On the face of the shield, it was a brilliant metallic blue in color with decorative gold and red inlaid throughout in patterns James immediately recognized. The golden triforce and the Hylian Crest of the Crimson Loftwing were both present. James felt as amazed by the shield as he had by seeing the Master Sword in the cave. He couldn't believe he was holding either, but to hold both put him at a loss for words.

After a moment, he couldn't bear it any longer.

"What is this made of? It's amazing."

"That, my young hero, is the finest in Hylian metalwork you will ever find. I forged it from ore gathered in the Gerudo Valley. I would normally charge up to 200 rupees for such an item. For you, it is a gift."

"I don't know what to say," James managed, still staring at the shield.

"Thank you will suffice," Nairoo interjected.

"Of course," James blushed a little. "Thank you Barin, warrior of Hyrule."

"The only thanks you owe to me, my young hero, is to find the Chalice and vanquish the wizard Agrim from Hyrule forever."

"I'll certainly try, sir," James said as he returned the Master Sword to its scabbard and slung the shield on his shoulder.

"I'm quite sure you shall succeed," Barin said.

They two travelers took their leave of Barin shortly after that and returned to the gate from which they had entered Rauru.

"Where do we go from her, Nairoo?" James asked.

"Now, young Link, we head for the Lost Woods, Kokiri Forest, for the Forest Temple is there. And there you must retrieve the Chalice for the sakes of everyone in Hyrule."

"Okay," James said, "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3: The Forest Temple

III. The Forest Temple

From Rauru James and Nairoo traveled East. They moved quickly but James got several opportunities to gain skill with his sword and practice shooting things with the sling shot. His bag of Deku nuts was more than full by the time they reached their camping spot for the night. James was actually beginning to wonder if they were going to sleep at all, or if night even happened in Hyrule. But soon the light began to fade and darkness crept over the land.

"We must stop here for the night, young Link," Nairoo said.

"Nairoo, why do you call me Link? My name is James."

"You are Link to all of Hyrule. 'James' has no meaning here."

James pondered this while he settled down on the ground. Nairoo waved her hands and said some gibberish and a fire sprung from nowhere. The warmth spread around the campsite immediately.

"The fire will keep you warm and ward off monsters for the night," Nairoo said.

"Thank you. How did you do that?"

"Magic, of course," the fairy responded.

She settled down on a bit of log nearby and her wings folded underneath her. James realized he hadn't seen her not flying since morning when he'd first come to Hyrule. She had flown everywhere. Her wings must be extremely tired. Of course, it was entirely possible that fairies didn't get tired.

"You must be very tired," he said.

"Somewhat," Nairoo answered. "I don't use magic often, and making a fire takes a lot out of me. I need to rest."

At that, the fairy laid down on the log with her arms folded under her head like pillow and said nothing more. James could see her breathing level off and hit that regular pattern he knew as sleep. He turned over and looked up at the sky. A hundred million bright specks stared back at him through the canopy of space and he realized he had never seen this many stars in real life. _Assuming this is real life_, he thought. The world he lived in had so much light everywhere. He had never noticed how much light there was in his world. But here he could see nothing but blackness and those tiny points of light. It was a clear night and fairly comfortable.

James opened his pack and pulled out a few of the strips of dried meat he'd bought in Rauru and the water. He drank deeply of the water and nibbled on the meat. Despite a long day of walking and other adventures, he found that his appetite was almost nonexistent. After draining his water skin, he put the remaining meat back in his pack and set the water skin next to him so he's remember to fill it in the morning.

He began to settle in and drift off to sleep. He thought for a moment about how sleeping on the ground was different from a bed. He missed his pillow, but the mossy undergrowth provided a surprising softness under him. He was afraid he'd get cold later on, as morning approached, but made a conscious effort not to dwell on that now. Now he was going to enjoy the end of a very long day and reflect on what was happening to him. Now was his moment to truly give thought to the fact that he, for all appearances, had been transported to a magical world and entrusted with a very serious challenge.

_Who am I to be called to this,_ he thought. He considered Nairoo's declaration that he had passed the tests embedded in various video games. Yet, how own experience thus far had proven to him that the video game operated under very different rules from the real world. Octorok's and Moblin's weren't vanquished quite as easily in this world as they were on the screen of his Wii at home. Aiming a sling shot was much easier in the confines of his living room than in the real world as well. He was mentally swinging his sword at a red Octorok when sleep claimed him.

The sun hit James's face much earlier than he would have liked. At home, he was used to sleeping as long as his parents would let him. But here, out in the open, the same wonder he had felt at the clear night sky turned to something closer to despair as the morning light seared his eyes. He put his arm over his eyes and tried to block out the light.

"I am not used to getting up this early, Nairoo," he said.

He heard no answer. Figuring that the fairy was somehow still asleep, he uncovered his eyes and sat up. He looked over to the log that Nairoo had slept on, but saw that the fairy was not there. He looked around the clearing, noting that the fire had burned out and was now just smoldering ashes.

"Nairoo!" he called out loudly. "Where are you?"

Still he got no answer.

James stood up and looked around the further area around the clearing, beginning to get a little concerned that the fairy was no longer around. He saw something in the dirt closer to the path they had been traveling yesterday. He walked over to the disturbance and his heart sank. It was a map with a short note drawn in the dirt. The note read: _Link, follow the map. I will rejoin you when I can. You can do this. Good luck._

What had happened? Why had Nairoo left him? How was he supposed to complete this journey now? James sat down in the dirt near the map. For the first time since Nairoo brought him to Hyrule, James feared that he might not go home. Nairoo was the way he had come and he assumed she was his way home as well. Without the fairy, how would he get home?

James sat in the dirt for some time, feeling abandoned by the fairy. He picked up bits of rock and tossed them aside. He snapped the few twigs he found nearby. Then it occurred to him that the fairy would not have left him unless she had some dire reason. He also considered that after the day they had spent together yesterday, surely he could follow her map and find his way to the Forest Temple, where she would surely be waiting on him. _This is probably some kind of test, to see if I'm really hero material, _he thought. _I'll prove to her that I'm worthy of the Master Sword._

He turned and studied the map she had drawn for him. The map seemed simple at first, but became more complicated as he looked at it. Initially, Nairoo was telling him to continue east until he got to the Kokiri Forest. Once in the Korkiri Forest, he would need to find his way into the Lost Woods, and there were some diagrams that showed him how he might do this. But the map she left for navigating the Lost Woods was extremely complicated. It was a veritable maze of twists and turns and a wrong turn looked as if he might have to start all over again. James also began to wonder why she would draw him a map of the Lost Woods if she intended to meet him there. _Maybe she won't meet back up with me until I get to the Forest Temple_, he thought. He began wishing he had some way to take the map with him. Why did she draw it in the dirt instead of leaving him a paper map? In the game there was always a paper map for each dungeon or temple structure and usually one for the overworld as well.

James conceded that there was no way to make an overworld map accessible in the real world. Not unless you somehow had a picture of it you could reference anytime you wanted to.

"That's it," he said excitedly.

James dug his hand deep into his jeans pocket and brought out a small metallic rectangular object – his iPhone. He touched the circular button on the face and it sprang to life, showing the same crest of Hyrule that gilded the front of the shield he carried. The juxtaposition of the electronic iPhone and the medieval sword and shield were not lost on James as he quickly took some pictures of the map Nairoo had left behind. He was quite surprised that the device functioned here, but was just a little too thankful of the fact to complain.

After taking the pictures, he flipped over to the Photo application to view them and see if they came out allright. The last thing he wanted was to get several miles down the path and find that the images were not visible to him. He checked them carefully; zooming and moving around until he was satisfied that he'd be able to see what he needed when he was away from the campsite.

James checked his pockets once more, but did not find the next thing his mind jumped to that would have been exciting to find: his headphones. Thoughts of traipsing through the land of Hyrule with American music blaring into his ears fled his mind as he put the iPhone back in his pocket to conserve battery life. _It's probably for the best,_ he thought, _I'd never hear monsters if I had music playing. I'd get killed in a heartbeat. _

That brought a thought to James's mind that he hadn't considered before. What happened if he died here? This surely wasn't like a video game, where he just started over. He wondered about how it would look back home, on the other side – as Nairoo said. He had no way of knowing what would happen to him over there, or what over there was like right now anyway. Was his Mom looking around for him? Did she even know he was gone? He'd been walking out of Frankie's Fun Park when Nairoo had shown up and transported him to Hyrule. He'd gotten so caught up in the adventure of this that he'd completely forgotten the practical questions of how all this worked. Now that Nairoo was gone – maybe forever – he had no way of knowing the answers.

After worrying about it for a few minutes, James realized that he was not getting any closer to the Lost Woods, the Forest Temple, or the Chalice of Orin by sulking around his campsite. He had no way to know what time it was in this world, or even if they told time like he did, but he imagined a good chunk of his day had been spent puttering about worrying about himself, Nairoo, and pretty much anything else except Princess Zelda, who was under a spell only he could break. He had to get moving or else she might run out of time.

He packed up what little he needed to, while chewing on some more dried meat. He found a small spring nearby and filled his water skin twice. The first time he drank it instantly, so he had to refill it for the road. After making sure the campsite was cleaned up – his Dad always said to leave a campsite better than you found it – he turned east and headed in that direction.

James's trek east was fairly calm. He had to deal with a few Octoroks and Moblins, and he noticed that they were a little more difficult to dispatch than previous ones he had met back west. He also ran across a creature he hadn't seen much of yet, the Tektite. It was a spidery looking creature with one giant eye that jumped around. James focused on using the slingshot to kill them, which was pretty effective, but he did have to resort to close quarters fighting with the sword on occasion. By the time he reached the Kokiri Forest, he had plenty of Deku nuts (despite using several to kill mnonsters) and was up to 150 rupees.

The forest loomed upon him as he approached the dense underbrush. The relative sameness of the path he'd been traveling was replaced by small trees that got larger and larger until James realized he was in the forest. He stopped and sat down a while, calling for Nairoo in case she was nearby. Shen she didn't reply, he decided to press forward to the temple if he could find it. He pulled his iPhone from his pocket and focused on this section of Nairoo's map. He had limited his views of the map as much as possible, but he could see his battery indicator dropping quickly each time he looked at the device. He would probably only have three or four more opportunities to look at the map before his iPhone went dead.

He wanted to study it pretty well this time so he didn't have to pull it out so often when he got into the woods. The path looked pretty complicated, but he thought he could figure it out. There was a series of turns he had to make at the proper junctures or else he'd get lost for sure. If he was reading Nairoo's map correctly – _where was she_ – it looked as if he needed to go through something – maybe a tunnel – to get through to the Sacred Forest Meadow beyond.

James entered the forest under the assumption that Nairoo would meet him at the temple, if she could. He looked around at the rich variety of plant life growing in the forest. Not only were there trees of great height, but there were small shrubs and mosses as well. Dead wood and dried leaves littered the ground as the natural course of life had worked its way through this dense expanse of forest. James had no idea of the kind of trees that existed in this forest. He didn't really even know many of the kinds of trees that existed in his own yard, though he'd heard his Papa talking about Dogwoods and Poplars from time to time. After walking for a bit, he came to the first turn, according to the map, which seemed to be at a fork in the path, where he turned to the right.

Just past the fork he passed a dead tree truck that he would have sworn looked like the open mouth of some creature crying for help. He tried to shut the though from his mind, knowing that if he gave in to such conclusions, he would never make his way through the forest. He also noticed a red capped mushroom on the ground, the first fungus he'd seen in the woods. The sight actually made him a little hungry and thirsty – though the thought of eating a mushroom made him gag a little – so he stopped briefly to take a drink from his water skin and pulled out the last strip of dried meat. He hoped his journey was nearing completion or that he would find another merchant, because he didn't see himself killing and cooking some rabbit for dinner tonight.

He continued on, keeping a lookout for the next landmark he'd seen on the map – two dead trees with a sapling growing between them. As he made his way around the edge of a tree that had fallen, partially blocking the path, he saw them. He also saw a skeleton walking about, brandishing a long sword. _Stalfos_, he thought, remembering them from the games. This was the first of them he'd seen on his real life trek through Hyrule though.

He knew he'd have to deal with the Stalfos if he wanted to continue on his path. He carefully – and quietly, drew his sword and set his shield. He'd need cunning to dispatch the undead warrior around the bend and had no clue how it would react to an attack. He figured there was only one way to find out.

James stepped from behind the tree he was hiding behind and tried to sneak up on the shuffling skeleton. However, a wrong step on a fallen branch made a sharp _crack_ and the Stalfos turned to face him. _Here we go_, James thought. Resigning himself to a frontal assault, he set his shield in front of his left side, holding his sword with his right hand. He remembered the ready position from his mixed martial arts class back home and assumed that position. It had been successful for most of his close encounters in Hyrule and he saw no reason to change that up now.

The Stalfos also brought its sword up, but made no reasoned attempt to prepare for battle. _Makes sense seeing there is no brain in there_, James thought. The skeleton charged straight away, practically swinging the sword from the first foot fall. James parried to the side and struck with his own sword, being careful to protect his right arm with his shield. The sound of steel on bone was not pleasant, but it did dig into the creature's right femur, breaking some of it away but doing little else. James though maybe he should aim for more of a jointed area next time.

The Stalfos turned around and charged again as soon as James regained his own position. The sheer stupidity of the monster was as likely to be its downfall as any force James could level at the thing. James made good on the rushed attack and brought his sword down upon the joint at the monster's right shoulder. The Master Sword cut right through the cartilage there and the arm fell away, taking the monster's weapon with it. James almost laughed at the way the arm holding the sword jittered around on the ground, as though it could still do harm.

The rest of the Stalfos remained equally determined to continue the fight. Right arm missing and all, it spun around and tried to tackle James. The thought of hand to hand combat with the skeleton was not something James wanted to imagine and he took every step he could to ensure it did not become a reality. A well-placed strike to the neck of the Stalfos severed the heard from the rest of the skeleton and the being dissolved in a shower of dust like every other monster he'd fought in Hyrule. To his chagrin, no rupee compensation was left on the ground though.

"I'd like to think I earned a _little_ something for all that," James said to the empty forest.

Nevertheless, he moved to the two dead trees with the small sapling growing between them. After having survived the ordeal of fighting the Stalfos, he wasn't sure he remembered which direction he was supposed to turn here. He risked a glance at the map on his iPhone and found that a left turn was required.

A little further down the path, he ran across a monster that was typically only seen in dungeons, which game him reason to think he might be getting close to the temple. A short grey colored blob slid off of a nearby stump and began a slow, sickly series of movements to bring it closer to James. _A Zol_, he thought, trying to remember the name. His Dad always just called them blobs, but then his Dad never really cared much for the exact names of things in games. He always said he knew how to kill it and didn't need to know the name if it for that. James knew the crusty, gelatinous, blob-looking creature was a Zol. He had encountered them in various Zelda games before and knew – more-or-less instinctively – how to dispatch them. He did not wait for the thing to inch closer, as they usually inched along and then made a unprecedented jump, but stabbed at it with his sword immediately. The sword sliced right into and through the skin of the thing and split it right down the middle.

The Zol did not evaporate into dust, as other creatures did, but continued on in two halves. James remembered then that the Zol would split into two Gels if attacked, unless the weapon was strong enough. The smaller monsters continued the pattern of making small, sluggish moves. Then one of them made the dreaded leap. James was able to bring his shield up to block the majority of his body from the attack, but his leg was exposed. He didn't have time to make any kind of a parry or counterattack at once, but instead felt the gooey, gelatinous skin of the Gel burn into his pants. He fell backwards onto the ground and tried to roll and get up. His leg hurt too badly and the pain was shooting through the rest of his body now.

After a moment, the pain receded and he was able to strike with the sword. Two strikes, one for each Gel, was enough to make them turn to dust. There were a few Deku nuts and about 5 rupees worth of gems on the ground underneath them. James sat up, panting and hurting from the attack. He was surprised that the violent Stalfos had been such an easy enemy, while the slow-moving and dumb Zol had proven more damaging to him. _Must not have been taking the thing seriously enough_, James thought. It was a mistake he resolved not to make again.

Most of his body still hurt from the Gel attack. Before he tried to get up, he reached into his satchel and pulled out his vial of red potion. He'd taken one additional sip since first purchasing it at Rauru and drinking some there. Half the bottle still remained. His pain now was worse than the other two times put together, so he hoped he would have enough. He pulled the stopper from the bottle and drank half of the remaining liquid. He waited a minute or two, hoping the effect would be swift. He did notice a change in his pain level, but the locus of the pain – in his leg – remained. He waited a little bit longer, with no change. Finally he resigned himself to drinking the rest of the red potion.

"I just hope I don't need this again," he said as he drained the bottle.

He carefully returned the stopper to the bottle and put the empty bottle back in his bag as he felt the pain decrease and disappear altogether. He was able to get up. He looked around and saw no more enemies. He returned the sword to the scabbard on his back and got his bearings on where he was and what he was doing. Again, fighting has made him lose track of where he was in the forest. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the iPhone to look at the map again. As he turned it on, a translucent battery showed up, with just a little bit of red coloring in it, showing his battery was low. He hoped he wouldn't have to use this device any more, but the closer he got to the temple, the more frequent his encounters with monsters was becoming.

The map reminded him he was looking for a stream or a creek. He would follow it until it ended where he would make a final left turn. He turned off the iPhone and slipped it back in his pocket. He returned to the path and followed it for several more feet. He found one or two smaller monsters on the path but he decided to use the sling shot and Deku nuts to dispatch them rather than attempt the close encounter method. He eliminated another Zol while searching for the water.

As he passed a large tree full of branches, he heard the bubbling of running water and knew he was getting close. He moved on a little bit further and saw the source of the sound. A small brook came from a rocky outcropping and ran alongside the path as far as James could follow with his eyes. As he approached he saw some strange plants lining the brook as well. Unlike the other plant life in the forest, these had purplish leaves near the ground and a pod like bulb that was colored orange rising from the bed of leaves. The coloring was what made them distinct and also made James pause and be a little more cautious as he approached them.

His caution was well warranted. When he was about five steps away from the edge of the brook, one of them opened a little. James stopped short and waited to see what would happen next. He reached for his sword and held his shield ready. A red tentacle shot out of the pod and stretched toward him. He pulled his shield into the path and felt the appendage strike the shield. Then he felt the shield begin to pull away from him and he realized the plant was pulling the shield back toward it. He shifted his weight and sliced with his sword across the front of the shield. The sword cut right through the fleshy tentacle and the remaining part slunk backward to the plant. He examined the shield and saw that the part still stuck to the shield was drying and turning brown very quickly. Within moments, the dried tip crumbled into dust and fell away.

James put the sword away and pulled out the slingshot. A test shot at the open plant monster proved successful as it evaporated into dust. He took another shot at one that hadn't opened yet and it turned to dust as well. From there, he pre-emptively shot at all the strange plants growing along the brook. This action resulted in just a few rupees, but no additional Deku nuts.

"I'm going to run out of Deku nuts like this," James said to no one in particular.

In all he shot at and killed about fifteen of the dangerous plants. When he was done, he looked in the small bag and found that he only had about ten Deku nuts remaining. As he thought about it, it seemed this was a complete reversal from the games he was used to playing. He was nearing – he hoped – the end of his adventure and was running out of supplies rather than overflowing in supplies like typically happened in the game.

He found the small pool where the brook ended and saw that the path forked here. He remembered from the map that a left turn was required. Holding his sword ready in case of other surprises, he turned left and followed the path a bit further.

A little further on there was a dead tree blocking the path. It was hollow though, and James assumed this was the barrier that had to be crossed; he had to crawl through the dead tree to whatever was on the other side. This was not something he relished the thought of doing. He even resisted cleaning at home when it meant he'd be in a tight, dark, or otherwise unpleasant place.

He remembered the one time his Dad had gone under the house through a crawl space door to see if he could find the source of a leak. James had not wanted to go in but his Dad had made him come partially in to hold a light for him. The idea that there might be spiders or other insects inside the hollow log made James cringe a little. He looked around a little and saw no other way of getting over the barrier than going through it.

He resigned himself to going through the hollow log and got down on his hands and knees. The darkness enveloped him quickly as he crawled inside the tree and moved forward. Looking ahead, he could see the light of the other side. It seemed a mile away, but he was sure that was his mind playing tricks on him. In reality it took less than a minute to crawl through and come out the other side.

He stood up on the other side and brushed off. He looked around at the clearing and marveled as his eyes settled on the object of this portion of his journey – the Forest Temple. It stood at the far end of the clearing and was made of stone. The façade appeared to be two stories from the ground and had trees growing all around it. Vines grew around six large pillars holding up an entablature blazoned with stone leaves carved into the face. Moss grew upon all the steps. The structure looked as though it had been undisturbed for decades. There was no door that James could see, only an opening behind the pillars.

He was here. He had found the Forest Temple.


	4. Chapter 4: The Chalice of Orin

IV: The Chalice of Orin

Where was Nairoo? James had been standing outside the Forest Temple entrance for about twenty minutes trying to decide if the fairy was going to show up or if he should go ahead and enter the temple alone. He had no map for the temple; Nairoo had not left him one. He had really been expecting the fairy to show up or be waiting for him when he'd gotten here. He drank the last of his water from his skin and stuffed the empty item back in his satchel.

"I guess I'm on my own." He started for the entryway.

"Not quite so alone, I think," came a voice from behind him.

A flickering light came hovering through the hollow tree he'd exited only half an hour ago. When it reached the clearing he could see it was the fairy. Nairoo had returned.

"Where were you?" he asked, unable to contain his relief.

"I am sorry, young Link," the fairy answered. "I had urgent business to attend to that could not be delayed. I had great confidence that you would find your way here without my assistance."

"Wrong," James said. "I needed your map."

"Quite right," said the fairy. "You did a remarkable job of remembering all the twists and turns of the Lost Woods."

James shrugged a little and pulled his iPhone out of his pocket. "I had a little help."

"My, my! How resourceful."

"Now what do we do?"

"Exactly what you were planning to do as I came into the clearing. You must trust your instincts more, young Link."

James wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or an insult, but decided not to press the matter further. He turned back toward the entryway and began walking up the mossy-covered steps to the Forest Temple.

"I've played this temple before, you know," he said.

"I know, but you have also learned that places and events from the games are not the way of things in Hyrule. The heroes of old tell stories with their adventures. They make changes and base their adventures on the idea of Hyrule. Some may even believe they created it, as your kind have a tendency to not believe your own past after some time. You consider the fantastic to be … well, fantastic, and imagine you have created it yourself. There are many games and stories in your realm which had their genesis in the land of Hyrule. Who knows, even you may tell some tale of your adventures and forget your time here was real."

"I can't imagine that"

"Neither did they, young Link. Neither did they."

They said nothing to each other for a few moments while James ascended the stairs and stepped through the entryway into the darkness of the temple. James expected the change in light to be extreme and figured he'd have to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust. He also wondered why he had not thought to buy a lamp or some other light source for when he came here.

He needn't have concerned himself about this as Nairoo glowed a bright golden color and cast light several feet in front of them. James looked back at the fairy and nodded a "thanks" before beginning his trek inside the structure.

The stone inside was a mossy green color and looked to be blocks of stone fit tightly together. He found himself first in a narrow hallway. He could see another opening about five feet way and walked toward it. Through that opening he found himself in a room, roughly ten feet square. Bits of vine and moss covered the floor, which looked to be solid, except one corner where the facing blocks looked cracked. There were no windows, but there were two doorways; one to the right and one to the left. The one to the right had a closed door, closing off the next room from James. The doorway to the right was an open passageway.

"Well, I guess I know which way I have to go first, huh?"

James moved in the direction of the open passage and headed through. On the other side of the passageway he found a room similar to the one he'd come from. The primary exceptions were that this room had no additional doorways and there were two Stalfos shuffling around the room.

It took no time at all for them to notice him and begin walking his way. Their clean, white skulls betrayed no expression, but he was sure they were smiling. James pulled the sword from the scabbard and readied his shield. They came at him at the same time, so he had to do some extra footwork to avoid the swords they were carrying. A clean strike to the waist of one turned it into dust. The other made a sharp strike at James's left flank. Fortunately, his shield was in place and took the strike instead of his arm. He spun around and swung his sword flat, at about the level of his own head. It connected with the Stalfos at the neck and separated the skull from the body. The whole thing turned into dust a moment later and left a small pile of rupees and a shiny brass key.

James picked up the rupees and the key. The rupees he dropped into his bag, but the key he held in his hand and returned through the doorway into the other room. He was pretty sure he now had the key to open the door there. He and Nairoo went back into the other room and went straight for the door. James slid the key into lock and turned it. An audible click came from the door and the entire wooden plank slid downward into the floor. Once the doorway was unobstructed, James walked through. Nairoo's glow lit the room beyond.

It was a little longer than the previous two rooms, more of a rectangular shape. There were a few torches lining both sides of the room and a doorway along the right side near the end. Vines snaked along the floor and moss covered stones all along the floor. Again, he saw no windows in the walls. Nairoo flew ahead of his a little bit and looked around the room.

"There are no enemies in here," she said. "We should be careful in case there are traps."

James saw the wisdom in that and looked carefully at the floor. None of the stone slabs looked overtly discolored – something that would have been a dead giveaway in a game – but he still didn't trust them. As Nairoo was fond of saying – and he had learned many times himself – the real Hyrule wasn't like the games. He carefully lifted his leg and slowly set it down on the next section of the floor. He was very careful when putting pressure down, trying to feel if the stone gave way. He felt oddly like Indiana Jones in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, trying to test the weight of the golden statue before placing his bag of sand. However, he felt no movement underneath him as he finally put the full weight of his body onto the leg.

Nairoo looked back at him. "I'm not sure you have to be _that_ careful, young Link."

James shrugged, "Better safe than sorry."

"Yes, but time is getting away from us. We must move more quickly and recover the Chalice."

"So you want me to be both careful and quick?" James said trying to emphasize the contradiction.

"Yes," was all the sprite answered.

James moved a little more freely through the room, but was still a little cautious as he put his foot down. Amazingly, he made it to the other side without triggering any booby traps along the way. As he walked through the open passageway into the next chamber, he heard a squishing sound from under his feet. Nairoo's glow lit the room some and he found that the floor of this chamber was watery and lily pads grew all around the room. The light that Nairoo provided lit the entire chamber, which was a long rectangular room similar to the one they had just exited.

James decided to test one of the lily pads, instead of walking in the water, which came up to his ankles. He took a long step and got the tip of his foot near one, and found them to be quite firm. He did a bit of a jump to get to it without dragging more of his feet through the water than he had to. Once he was standing on the nearest lily pad, he looked around the room to see if traveling by lily pad was something he was going to be able to do.

As his eyes scanned the room, he saw something moving near the wall. A long, snakelike creature slithered out of a small hole in the wall and into the water. James did not want to take any precautions and pulled his sword and readied himself. He tried to keep an eye on the creature, but once it was under water, the six inches of murky mess hid it from view. He had little choice but to wait for it to reappear. In the meantime, he made a quick move to the next lily pad on his way across the room. There were two open doorways at the end of the room, one leading right and another leading left.

"Nairoo, do you know which way to go from here?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," the fairy responded. "I've never been inside the Forest Temple before."

"Well, just so you know…this isn't _at all_ like it is in the games."

Nairoo said nothing, knowing the young lad knew what she would say. Instead they moved ahead, taking another lily pad. James noticed a second snake – he had no other word for them yet, having only seen part of them – slither out of a second wall hole and into the water beneath him.

"Great, just what I need," he said. "Snakes."

"They will likely leave us alone unless we pose a threat to their habitat," Nairoo commented.

"Just how do I do that," James said as he jumped to another lily pad.

"I think the safest way is to not get in the water," Nairoo said just as James came down, just short of the lily pad and landed feet first in the murky water.

"Now you tell me," James said.

From two locations, he began to see the water ripple and bend as though under a current. Something was moving towards him, and fast. He climbed back up onto the lily pad just as the first snake leapt from the water. He raised his shield. It only partially protected him as the creatures long tail whipped around and caught him underneath his arm. The pain was sharp, but not terribly damaging. It stung mostly, like when someone snaps you with a twirled-up wet towel.

James lowered his shield in time to catch the other one right in the face. It hit the shield hard and then fell down, stunned. James struck with his sword and sliced the creature in half. It immediately turned to dust. Looking down in the water, James didn't even care if there were rupees down there. He turned around and saw the first snake ripping through the water at him again. This time, he crouched down and covered all of his body with the shield. The snake leapt from the water, as before, but struck the shield face-first like his partner had done. James again took advantage of the moment the creature was stunned and dispatched it with his sword.

He looked around the room, checking to make sure there were no other snakes waiting for him. The room looked clear. He found he was only a lily pad away from the exit, and made the final leap. Nairoo commented on his improved swordsmanship as they passed through the right-hand doorway. He was hoping it was the right direction.

The room they found themselves in was small, with a stairway leading up. There were two torches on either side of the stairs but James could not see what was above. He carefully stepped up and onto the stairs and moved upwards. When he reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he was in a hallway. Torches lit the hallway, which ran a good length, and ended at a door on the other end. The door appeared to have a keyhole in it.

"Well, I guess we try the other passage then," he said as he turned to go back downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, he hopped across two lily pads to the door on the left side of the room. He went through and found a square room, filled with vines and moss, as well as a small chest lying on the floor by the wall. Instinctively he went straight for the chest.

A small disk with blades jutting from its sides slid quickly across the room and struck James in the leg. He let out a cry of pain as the blade dug into his flesh and blood began to flow. The small disk slid on across the room to the other side. James fell to the floor of the room, clutching his ankle. After a moment, the sudden pain subsided some and he was able to stand again.

"How bad is it, young Link?" Nairoo asked.

"It's worse than I'd like, that's for sure," he said in response. "I should have seen that coming."

"Traps are often unseen, else they would not be deadly," Nairoo said. "Do you still have any of your red potion?"

"No," James replied. "I had to use the last of it after a Zol got the drop on me."

"I see."

James limped to the other wall and bent to open the chest. It was unlocked and he was able to lift the lid easily. Inside, set on a lining of red silk, was a shiny brass key. He grabbed it and turned to go out of the room. He tested his injured leg a little more to see if a small jump would be possible. Sharp pain raced up his leg when he put too much pressure on it, but the movement was possible. He approached the entryway and made a quick leap just as the bladed disk made its race across the floor.

When he landed on the other side of the doorway, he let out a scream as pain flared up his injured leg. Nairoo's concern was evident as she fluttered around him, unable to do anything of consequence. He paused for a moment, until the pain subsided and then decided hopping across the two lily pads was not going to be possible. He resigned himself to getting wet – the least of his troubles at this point – and he limped across the room to the staircase.

At the top of the stairs he rested some. Taking the steps had been much more difficult this time than the previous attempt. He then limped down the hallway and to the locked door. When he got there he inserted the key and turned it. As before, the click came from inside the lock and the door slid down and out of sight. What James saw beyond the door took his breath away.

The room was massive, much large than any room he'd been in yet. It was still constructed of stone, but there were trees growing through openings in the floor that seemed to make a circle around a raised dais in the center of the room. Around the edge of the dais ran a small stream, only about a foot wide. On the dais James saw a pedestal draped with a red silk sloth. Sitting on the pedestal, he saw a silver chalice with ornate golden trim around the rim.

"Is that the Chalice of Orin, Nairoo?" James asked.

"Yes it is, young one," came a booming voice from his left.

James turned toward the voice and saw a giant of a man clothed in a long green robe with a hood over his head. Red eyes glowed from under the hood; the rest of his features were too obscured to see clearly. The man was seated on the edge of a large chaise lounge. He stood up and removed the hood, revealing face with a deep scar running from his left eye to his chin. His skin was a light purple. But more importantly, when he stood up, James saw another form lying on the bed behind him. It was a girl with blond hair wearing a silvery white dress. On her head was a finely made golden tiara. He assumed this was Princess Zelda, which meant he was now face to face with the wizard Ajayus.

"And no doubt, you have come a great distance to retrieve it and revive the Princess," he said motioning behind him. "Of course, you are doomed to fail. I have studied the mysteries of the Triforce for years and have shown my powers by cursing the Princess. I cannot allow you to undo what I have done. The Master would be most displeased."

James wondered what "master" Ajayus referred to, and hoped it wasn't Ganon. If it were, it might mean this was just the first sortie into a much larger conflict. If Ganon had found a way to re-enter this world, it would be disastrous. Link looked past the wizard at the sleeping form of Zelda on the bed and then over at the chalice on the pedestal. The chalice was too close and he had come too far to let this wizard follow through with his plans. He knew he was the only person that stood in his way.

"Prepare to meet your end, young one," the wizard said.

Ajayus lifted his arms and waved his hand a little. A blue fireball formed in his hands and a short motion sent it flying across the room toward James. James rolled to his right to avoid it and came up on his knees. He pulled the sword from his back and the shield into his hands and prepared to meet the wizard's next action.

That next action happened immediately. Another blue fireball hit his shield and exploded. James felt the heat even through the metal of the shield. As the heat faded, he stood up and got in a position for the next wave. He realized that since Ajayus had magic on his side, his own chances of getting close enough to strike with the sword was pretty slim. He needed a ranged weapon. He quickly slid the sword back in the scabbard and drew the slingshot and Deku nuts from his side.

He loaded a nut in the slingshot, aimed, and fired with lightning speed. The projectile flew across the room but never hit its target because Ajayus let loose another fireball which destroyed the weapon.

"You shoot nuts at me young one?" the wizard said. "I am more than the witless creatures you met in the wild."

James realized that the wizard was correct and dropped the slingshot back into his satchel and drew the sword again. He looked frantically around the room, trying to find cover. The best he could find was one of the trees surrounding the dais. He ran in that direction and hid behind the tree. Nairoo followed quickly and lighted on his shoulder.

"What am I supposed to do, Nairoo? He can shoot those fireballs all day long."

"The shield will absorb the fire, but the sword may reflect it," Nairoo replied.

James though for a moment and remembered that at various times the character of Link had been able to turn magic back on the villain. He hoped that Nairoo was correct, but was concerned because he knew the world and the games were separate things.

He retreated to a further tree, trying to use the darkness as well as the tree for cover.

"I hear you moving, young one," Ajayus said. A fireball exploded near one of the trees.

James recoiled from the explosion. _Boy, that was close_. He moved to another tree, using the darkness as cover, and tried to get behind the wizard. As he came to the end of the circle of trees, he noticed that the far side of the room leading back to the bed was dark as well. _If I can get over there without being seen, maybe I can slip up behind him. _He and Nairoo were slipping into the darkness when the whole area exploded with blue fire. James was thrown to his back and Nairoo went spiraling and landed on her side.

"You cannot hide from a Wizard of Mandrag," Ajayus called out, cackling in a way that turned James's stomach. "We see and hear all."

James crawled over to Nairoo and saw that the fairy was not moving. He had no idea how to check for a pulse on a fairy, but he feared the worst. She did not appear to be breathing at all. His heart sank deep in his chest, but he had no time to mourn for his little friend.

He crawled away from Nairoo and used the confusion of the moment to hide in the shadows and draw the Master Sword. As he stood up, he felt the injuries the blast had done. His legs and left arm burned like fire. His right arm seemed mostly all right, but even his back felt strained from the bizarre twisting his body had done being blown free of the explosion from Ajayus's magic.

James crept in the shadows and managed to get behind the bed. Despite Ajayus's conviction that he could see and hear everything, James felt he'd done a pretty good job of avoiding detection. He could just see the wizard from his spot. Ajayus was looking this was and that around the room, never wandering far from the bed where Zelda lay under her curse.

"Where are you, young one?" the wizard called out. "You can't hide forever. What happened to your fairy? There's no one to guide you now; no help for the poor man child from far away."

James's blood boiled within him at the mention of Nairoo. He leapt from his position, bounding over the bed, barely touching it, and brought the Master Sword down on Ajayus's massive arm. The sword cut deep into the wizard and he cried out, twisting his body wildly. The movement sent James and the sword tumbling across the room. James lost his grip on the sword. When he came to rest, he saw that the sword was about five feet away from him; out of reach unless he moved.

"You will pay for that," Ajayus roared.

James dared a glance at the man and saw that a dark stain was spreading across his body from the cut in his arm. The sword had bit into the upper arm, near the shoulder and he was sure it had cut through some serious arteries – assuming wizard anatomy was in any way similar to human. Ajayus came closer to him and raised his left arm.

"Now I will destroy you," he stated. "I might have been willing to let you go back to your own realm; but not now. You will perish in this land, young one."

The fireball burst from his hands and burned through the air. James got the shield in place just in time and he felt the ball burst against it. The heat sizzled against the shield face and James felt it burning through to his arm holding it. James cried out in pain. He had always known that having your skin heated when you had sunburn was painful, but this was a hundred thousand times worse than anything he had ever felt. As the blast diminished, James knew he could not withstand another blast like that. He tried to crawl towards the sword, knowing he had no hope without a weapon. He was just about to put his hand on the grip when Ajayus's foot came down on his arm.

He both felt and heard a loud "crack" come from his arm and pain shot up the length of it into his shoulder. He cried out, feeling pretty confident that the wizard had just broken his arm. He rolled over and could see the wizard's face. Ajayus's features were contorted into a maniacal mixture of pain and a smile. James was afraid for his life.

Ajayus raised his good arm to deliver the final blow to the young boy. The fireball formed in his hand and in a downward sweep he threw it at the small body below him.

The fireball never arrived at James's body. Instead it was completely absorbed by the bright light that glowed between the wizard and the boy. A great sphere of brilliant golden light shone from a small body floating in the space between the two. The wizard took a step back, letting the pressure off of James's arm. The boy looked up into the light and smiled through the pain. At the center of the sphere of light was Nairoo, her wings buzzing fiercely.

"Nairoo, you are alive," he groaned.

"Yes, but not for long. I am using the last of my strength for you, Link. Take the power I leave you and end the reign of this wizard. Rescue the princess."

James was trying to process what the fairy had said and was just beginning to say something when the sphere collapsed into a million bits of golden light that fell on him and showered him in power. He felt the pain recede from his arms, legs and every other part of his body. He could feel the bones knit together in his arm and the strength returned to his body. He felt rejuvenated and grasped the Master Sword. As he stood, still glowing with the power of the fairy, he noticed that the Master Sword itself slowed with a brilliant light. He struck out with it and a beam of energy shot from it and struck the wizard in his chest.

Ajayus cried out in pain as the energy bolt struck him. He couldn't believe what was happening. The fairy had somehow revived the boy and given him more power and energy. The sword he carried was also able to fire. The wizard's greatest advantages were gone. It was impossible that he could be defeated by a small boy, but it seemed to be happening.

James felt the power of the Master Sword itself flowing through him. He struck again and again, sending Ajayus backwards in pain with each successive motion. The wizard cried out and tried to return fire, but the bolts from the Master Sword came too swiftly for him to do anything about it. After three repeated bolts, James was actually within reach of the wizard. He made for one final blow and the sword cut through the wizard's robes as he evaporated into dust.

James collapsed to the ground, feeling exhausted. The power began to ebb away from him and fade away now that the wizard was defeated. He had no idea how long he sat there, trying to take in the events of the last few moments. Tears dripped from his cheeks to the stony floor and made small wet spots there. He hadn't even known he was crying, the emotions surged forth from somewhere deep inside the boy.

Finally, he stood up. Having survived the ordeal, he was amazed at how strong he felt. There was not pain, or marks, from the injuries he had sustained during his time in the temple. His eyes settled on Zelda, still sleeping on the bed at the edge of the room. He turned and walked up the dais and took the silver chalice from the pedestal. He dipped it into the small stream of water circling the dais and went to the bed.

He leaned over the bed and lifted the sleeping princess's head and tipped the chalice to her lips. The water from within poured forth and wet her lips. He pressed a little harder and her mouth opened slightly, allowing more water to enter her mouth. James sat back and waited patiently.

Her eyes fluttered briefly and then she woke up. She looked at him and smiled. The smile was almost enough to make him forget anything and everything that had happened on this strange journey.

"You must be Link," she said.

"Yes, your highness, I am….today anyway,"

She looked at him quizzically and he wondered if she was aware of the nature of the heroes of Hyrule. He decided not to press the issue.

"Did you now have a fairy, Link?" she asked.

"I did, your highness," he said, choking up with grief. "She sacrificed herself to give me the power to defeat the wizard."

"I am sorry to hear that," she said. "What was her name?"

"Nairoo."

"She will be forever remembered in the Halls of Hyrule Castle."

Zelda sat up and looked at the Chalice of Orin. She reached out and took it from Links hand. It was at that moment that he noticed the golden impression of the Triforce on the back of his hand. It glowed a bright yellow but appeared to be part of his skin rather than something that had been applied to it.

"You are now a true hero of Hyrule," the princess said. "You will carry that mark forever, though you may never see it again. It will fade shortly, once you are returned to your own realm."

"I see," James said. "How do I get home without Nairoo?"

"The Master Sword will take you home," Zelda stated.

At that moment, the sword began to glow and light enveloped the young boy. James felt the tingling sensation in his fingertips again. It spread quickly through his whole body as the world around him grew more and more dim to his eyes. Eventually he could see nothing.

When he came to, he was back in Frankie's parking lot. His Mom and sister were right beside him, as were a few of the amusement park attendants. His head hurt a little, but he seemed OK given the ordeals he'd just been through.

"James, are you OK?" his Mom asked.

"I think so," he responded. "Sorry I'm late."

"Late?" she said. "I'm just glad you are alive. After that hit, I thought we were going to have to call the ambulance."

"Huh?" James asked, genuinely confused now.

"You don't remember?" she asked. "You were coming out of the front doors and someone hit you with a mini-golf ball. You dropped right here and have been out cold for a few minutes. Honestly, I was about to call the ambulance. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I guess so. I had the strangest dream…." He began.

James looked around at the crowd. He didn't know what to believe anymore. A minute ago he'd been in Hyrule, defeating yet another wicked wizard and saving the land from disaster, as apparently many had done in the past. Now he was home, but it seemed to everyone else that he'd been hit with a golf ball and had been unconscious. Was it possible it had all been some weird dream while he'd been knocked out?

One look at the fading Triforce emblem on the back of his hand was all he needed, but he figured he'd better not let on too much. It would be his own secret, at least until he could begin the search for the other heroes.

15


End file.
